#  The Early Learning Journey: Connecting Preschool Data to Elementary Outcomes 

 



How we know whether PreK is building a strong foundation for students’ later learning? While most local and state education agencies collect PreK learning and development data and administer kindergarten entry assessments, fragmented data systems make it difficult to track individual students as they move from PreK programs into later grades. Without a coherent system, agencies cannot compare assessments, identify effective programs, or determine which children need additional support.

This toolkit helps education agencies track how children learn and develop as they move through the critical transition from preschool into the early elementary years.



 

### The Early Learning Journey: Connecting Preschool Data to Elementary Outcomes 

 

This toolkit helps agencies track longitudinal student outcomes from PreK through second grade by **connecting information about the same children over time**, including the programs they attended, their kindergarten entry results, and their outcomes in the early elementary years. It provides resources, best practices, practical data tools, and lessons learned from five local and state education agencies to help users understand their own data landscape, establish data access and quality, link records across the PreK–2 continuum, conduct credible analyses, and create useful tools for stakeholders. With high-quality longitudinal data, agencies can make strategic investments that help all children meet developmental and learning milestones.



 [ Access the early learning journey toolkit arrow\_circle\_right ](https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/resource/early-learning-journey-connecting-preschool-data-elementary-outcomes) 

 



    ![The Early Learning Journey: Connecting Preschool Data to Elementary Outcomes](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2026-09/Early%20Ed%20Covers%20%281%29.png?itok=DH1sw2Qn) 

 

 

  

 



 

 

 

##  The Early Learning Journey: Resource Library 

 



  [### Sample Family and Educator Feedback Survey

 ](/resource/sample-family-and-educator-feedback-survey)The Sample Family & Educator Feedback Survey helps districts capture how report card language and structures are interpreted and used by families, educators, and instructional staff.



 

 

   ![Sample Family and Educator Feedback Survey](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%2813%29.png?itok=XwHQOvUt) 

 



 

 

   [### PreK–2 Assessment Inventory Template

 ](/resource/prek2-assessment-inventory-template)The PreK-2 Assessment Inventory template can be used to document all assessments used across a PreK-2 system to inform data landscape mapping, linkage decisions, and alignment analysis.



 

 

   ![PreK–2 Assessment Inventory Template](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%288%29.png?itok=5VaCcJV0) 

 



 

 

   [### STEP Forward with Data Framework Implementation Guide

 ](/resource/step-forward-data-framework-implementation-guide)This guide by ChildTrends was designed to support preschool system leaders who plan to use the STEP Forward with Data Framework.



 

 

   ![STEP Forward with Data Framework Implementation Guide](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Screenshot%202026-10-14%20at%202.06.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?itok=3vYunfZp) 

 



 

 

   [### Sample Data Consent Form Template

 ](/resource/sample-data-consent-form-template)This data consent form template, an example from the District of Columbia's State Education Agency, establishes consent to share child-level data from local education agencies (LEAs) to the state education agency.



 

 

   ![Sample Data Consent Form Template](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%2812%29.png?itok=FNZ1xjaw) 

 



 

 

   [### Data Quality Documentation Template

 ](/resource/data-quality-documentation-template-0)This template helps document data quality issues, decisions, and caveats for each data source used in your PreK-2 longitudinal analysis.



 

 

   ![Data Quality Documentation Template](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%289%29.png?itok=q1CM4R0y) 

 



 

 

   [### PreK-2 Data Request Specification Template

 ](/resource/prek-2-data-request-specification-template)Sharing a completed PreK-2 Data Request Specification template with your initial data request can help reduce the back-and-forth with data owners, supports faster legal review, and helps ensure you receive data in a format that supports your analysis.



 

 

   ![PreK-2 Data Request Specification Template](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%2810%29.png?itok=vlOg-5Hx) 

 



 

 

   [### PreK–2 Assessment Crosswalk Matrix

 ](/resource/prek-2-assessment-crosswalk-matrix-0)The PreK-2 Assessment Crosswalk Matrix helps map assessment tools across the PreK–2 continuum by developmental domain.



 

 

   ![PreK-2 Assessment Crosswalk Matrix](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%2811%29.png?itok=qJwKTkvv) 

 



 

 

   [### Sample Data Dictionary

 ](/resource/sample-data-dictionary)This data dictionary helps to bring together data from several contributing agencies to help understand what documentation exists and where there are gaps.



 

 

   ![Sample Data Dictionary](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%2814%29.png?itok=EK7ApZNL) 

 



 

 

   [### Stakeholder Engagement Protocol for Dashboard Design

 ](/resource/stakeholder-engagement-protocol-dashboard-design)This example protocol is designed to engage stakeholders in collaboratively designing a data dashboard.



 

 

   ![Stakeholder Engagement Protocol for Dashboard Design](/sites/g/files/omnuum4446/files/styles/hwp_scale_small/public/2026-10/Early%20Ed%20Tool%20Cover%20%287%29.png?itok=smM_h-as) 

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  [### Register for the November 19 webinar, "Using data to ask whether early learning is working"

 ](https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/event/webinar-using-data-ask-whether-early-learning-working) 

  [### Learn more about SDP's early education work and tools

 ](https://sdp.cepr.harvard.edu/sdp-early-education-tools)